Mass Effect: Epilogues
by Charioteer
Summary: A series of epilogues based on different versions of Commander Shepard. Rated M for language (Jack).
1. I Need Medi-Gel And Booze

**A quick note (in case you didn't read summary): The six chapters that will eventually make up this story are unrelated. Each exists in an alternate galaxy with an alternate Shepard.**

**Disclaimer: I own no rights to anything.**

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**Chapter One: I need medi-gel…and booze.**

Jack's communicator beeped again. What was that, the fifth time now? She didn't care. Whoever it was could go to hell. "Another round?" asked the bartender.

"Hell yes," Jack replied. The man poured her another drink and set it down in front of her. She drained half the glass in one go. Why him? Out of all the people fighting in this damn war, why did he have to die? She could hear the last words they said to each other playing through her head.

"_Don't get killed, dumbass. When this is over, I'm getting laid."_

"_I love you, too."_

He loved her. But what was really killing her was that she loved him, and she had never told him. Now she never will. She wasted her last chance. She even called him a dumbass. She took another swig as a scarred turian sat to her left and ordered a drink. "Jack," he said, nodding.

"Fuck off, Garrus."

"We've been trying to contact you."

"What makes you think I care?"

"You should care."

"Go fuck yourself, Garrus."

Garrus shook his head and turned to leave. Something stopped him, however, as he was just sitting there, staring at something. Normally, Jack would have turned to see what he was looking at, but right now, she didn't give a shit. "What are you doing here? You should be in the hospital."

Jack's heart nearly stopped when she heard the voice of a dead man behind her. "The hospital didn't have any booze." She whirled around to see Shepard walking towards her. His face was even more scarred than usual. She could tell from the way he was moving that he was in bad shape. Anyone else would probably need help just to get to the bathroom. Garrus and Jack's mouths were hanging open. "What? Have I got something on my face?" Shepard sat down next to Jack and ordered a drink.

"Who let you out of the hospital?" Garrus asked.

"After the shit I've done, who do you think would try to stop me?"

"Good point."

Shepard downed his entire drink at once. "Garrus?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Why don't you take a walk?"

"Yes, sir." Garrus got up, paid for his drink, and left the two humans alone.

For almost a minute, neither spoke. Jack broke the silence. "You look like shit."

"You look beautiful," Shepard replied without missing a beat.

"Shut up, dumbass." Shepard chuckled. "Hey, Jayne…"

Shepard's brows furrowed. "I told you not to call me that in public."

"Shut up. I need to say this before I sober up." Jack took a deep breath. "I love you, Jayne."

Jayne Shepard tried to look annoyed, but he was betrayed by the smile forming on his lips. "I know, Jack. I love you, too."

They sat in silence for several minutes. Out of nowhere, someone behind Shepard cleared their throat. They turned slowly to find a scowling Doctor Chakwas.

Across the street from the bar, Garrus and Tali were sitting in a restaurant that was serving dextro food until the relays were repaired. Tali glanced out the window. "Keelah…" Garrus gave her a confused look and followed her gaze. What he saw, he was not prepared for. Doctor Chakwas was pulling Commander Shepard out of the bar and back to the hospital by his ear. Jack was following them and laughing her ass off. Garrus and Tali looked at each other and burst into laughter.


	2. Where I Belong

**Chapter Two: Where I Belong**

I have been called many things. My superiors call me "Lieutenant Commander". My subordinates call me "sir". A lot of people call me "freak", though not to my face. Scientists call me "impossible". My mother calls me "a miracle". But now I have a new title: Spectre. As I step out of the elevator onto the Presidium, my "uncle" is there to greet me. "I'm a little busy right now," I say walking past him. He follows, walking next to me. "I've got to meet Councilor Alenko on the docks."

"I know," the turian veteran replies. "That's why I'm here." We enter the elevator to the docks and Garrus selects the destination. When the doors open, however, I see an empty docking bay.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" I ask.

"I'm sure."

"Where's Alenko? And where's my mother, for that matter? I thought she would've at least come to watch the ceremony."

"Kaidan will be here soon."

"And my mother?"

"You'll see." If turians could smirk, Garrus would be smirking.

It's not long before the elevator behind us opens up and Alenko walks out onto the docks. "I was hoping to get down here before you," he says. I can tell he's hiding something, probably conspiring with Garrus.

"I thought you said I'd be getting my own ship?" I question him. Before he can respond, I hear the sound of a ship docking and turn to look at it. However, I see no ship in the dock. The docking clamps appear to be attached to thin air. I look closer and can just barely make out some slight distortions in the air where a ship should be. Then, I see a large shimmer as a frigate of human and turian design seems to appear out of nowhere. Along the side of the ship is written "NORMANDY" and "SR-3".

I'm so stunned by the ship's sudden appearance that I don't even notice as a quarian woman disembarks and makes her way over to us. "What do you think?" she asks.

I slowly turn to look at her. It takes me a moment to form words. The first semi-coherent thought I am able to express is "Holy shit."

"Yep," replies Alenko.

"Well said," adds Garrus.

"You didn't think we'd let you command just any ship, did you?" my mother teases. Even though I can't see her face behind the mask, I can tell she's smiling.

Councilor Alenko returns to the elevator as the rest of us board the third Normandy. Joker greets us from the pilot seat. The galaxy wide synthesis of organic and synthetic life strengthened his bones considerably, but he's still fragile by human standards. EDI is standing next to him, smiling at the look of awe that I'm sure is on my face. Garrus and my mother take me on a tour of the ship. Garrus makes a point to describe the upgrades he's made to the guns and my mother spends almost ten minutes explaining how she improved the stealth systems.

After introducing me to my new squad, which consists of Kolyat and Shiala, my mother returns to engineering and Garrus returns to the crew deck, mentioning something about calibrations. I thank Kolyat and Shiala for volunteering to serve under me and head up to my new cabin, the one part of the ship that wasn't part of the tour. The cabin looks almost identical to my father's old cabin, right down to the model ships and empty fish tank. Stories vary, but from what I've heard, either my father couldn't be bothered to feed them regularly, or Javik ate all the fish shortly after the end of the war with the Reapers. I'm more inclined to believe the former, but the mental image the latter conjures is too funny to dismiss entirely.

As I open my locker, two things catch my eye. The first is the leather jacket my father wore during the war. The second is a suit of armor I've never seen before. I take it out and lay it on the bed. It's mostly black and dark grey with a red stripe down the right side and "N7" on the breastplate. The armor appears to be a hybrid of human and quarian design. I don the armor that was made for me and head down to the CIC. As I stand before the galaxy map, a sense of familiarity washes over me. I am Kal'Shepard vas Normandy, and this is where I belong.


End file.
